


Where Are You Now

by TheLeaderOfBloodIsAMaid



Series: New Days Are Endless [2]
Category: Anacrine Complex (Webcomic)
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Vince i'm looking at you, family can be headache inducing, motherly hugs, shennanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 04:31:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7207895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLeaderOfBloodIsAMaid/pseuds/TheLeaderOfBloodIsAMaid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon the rest of the Pierson household hearing about Ben, they come flocking down to Lee’s home in droves. Shenanigans ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where Are You Now

**Author's Note:**

> So Lightlybow dropped a few tantalizing hints on Lee’s past with his family and my brain just couldn’t resist the idea of torturing Lee with some good ol’ family fun. I'm back in the saddle of this universe people! *cackles happily*

Isabella Pierson was cleaning dishes when her oldest son burst into the room, dressed in the latest trend in fashion. “MOM! YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT’S ON THE NEWS!”

“What is it, Vincent?”

“Look!!!” his exuberance was so loud she could easily see the multiple exclamation marks trailing in his wake. A phone was shoved into her face, so close that she couldn’t see anything but a blur.

“Let me dry my hands first, Vince.” She said, wiping her hands on a nearby dish towel for just that purpose. “You know how these new devices hate water like cats.”

Vince danced on his feet, impatience making him seem like a teenager again. “It’s about Lee, Mom! He’s made headline news! Well… sorta.”

Isabella’s heart nearly stopped right then and there. Her baby boy, what had he gotten himself up to this time? “Give it to me.” She said shortly and soon she had in her hand the small device that would divulge her youngest child’s coming and goings.

 

**Only casualty in school shooting hospitalized in critical condition**

**_A_ ** _frantic 911 call placed at about 1:20 p.m. by frantic student Alex Lawson alerted authorities that something was seriously wrong at NRHS. Students were informed to stay…_

Worry churned in her gut until finally she shoved the phone back into her oldest son’s hands. “Get your sister, we’re going to see my grandson.” She felt giddy. A grandson! She was a grandma! It didn’t matter that it wasn’t official, that poor boy was a Pierson through and through. Heaven knows that her son had been through enough heartbreak as it was. He deserved this chance to be a father.

 

***

 

Lee sighed and moved over to cabinet, the house feeling cold and empty without Ben’s usual cheer. He placed the few dishes that were dried into their places and took a step back. The looming sense of dread… it made his skin crawl.

The spoons rattled on the drying rack and he let out a heaving sigh, hand reaching to touch his other arm in an attempt to calm his nerves and get his strange power in check. It wouldn’t do to break his record for maintaining a watch and phone in his possession over an unfounded worry. While Ben might think his powers were “awesome” and that Lee should “become a superhero”, it didn’t equal out in reality. Lee just wasn’t a hero and his control, while better than it had been in the months he had first gained it, was still a fluctuating mess of waves. If his power could be read on a graph, it would be all over the place, instead of the orderly lines that he so preferred.

His hand brushed through his bun and he let out a grumbling sigh. He pulled out the tie and shook out the tangled hair with his fingers. He was about to pin it all back up when the doorbell rang.

Lee glanced at the door, rather startled. No one usually came to the door. All of Ben’s friends just barged right in, filling the house full of rowdiness that buoyed up Lee’s lonely heart and emptied the pantry. He hadn’t ordered anything either. Hesitantly, he made his way to the door and opened it.

He was immediately beset by a three way hug and a loud chorus of “Lee!”

Lee blinked stupidly up at the door frame from underneath a mass of rather familiar arms. “M-Mom? Vince? Bunnie?” he took a step back to observe his family, blinking back shocked tears. “What are you doing here?”

“We heard about your boy being in the hospital and we just had to come see you, Lee Lee!” Bunnie said, her eyes wide and earnest under her bold glasses.

“Yeah, we couldn’t just leave our baby bro in a lurch!” Vince agreed. Lee eyed his brother slightly, taking in the fashionable clothes that made Lee hyper aware of the green paint stain over his heart.

“Where is that boy anyways?” Isabella asked, looking around.

Lee sighed and said with a wry smile, “Off playing video games with his friends.”

Isabella clapped her hand on Lee’s shoulder before pulling him into another hug. “Then we’ll just have to throw a big party for when he gets back! I want to see my grandson!”

Lee melted into her embrace and gave up on the inevitable.

 

***

 

There was a new car in the driveway. Ben eyed the new vehicle suspiciously from the Lawson car window.

“Looks like you have visitors, Ben!” Alex’s mom, Cassandra said cheerfully as she smoothly put the car into park.

“Who’d visit us?” Ben questioned. “I don’t even know if Dad _has_ relatives. He’s never talked about them before.”

Cassandra shrugged. “Well, Lee hasn’t turned them away just yet so they mustn’t be that bad.” She said sensibly.

Ben shrugged and then slid out of the car. “Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Lawson.”

Cassandra waved her hand in the air lazily, a wide grin on her face. “Kid you know you can just call me Cass!”

Ben flushed red and started to stammer. Cassandra laughed and shooed him fully out of her car.

"Go enjoy your family, kiddo!" she called through the open window then drove away. Ben stared at the retreating tail lights and took a deep, steadying breath.

"Please let it not be the CPS..." Ben muttered to himself as he aproached the front door. He paused, hearing loud boisterous laughing and a great deal of loud music. The windows were rattling. "Ooookay, so it's _not_ the CPS. That's... that's good?"

Ben had no idea how to deal with this and so had to summon every bit of courage that was in his chest just to turn the door knob.

"WILL YOU PLEASE JUST TURN THAT RACKET OFF?!" Ben could barely hear his father with all the comotion.

"WHAT WAS THAT LEE LEE?" an unfamiliar voice yelled back over the throbbing base. Ben crept closer inside, quietly shutting the door. Anything short of a full on door slam could be considered quiet with how high the volume was. Ben could already feel his headache spiking with every pulse of the base.

"TURN IT OFF! NOW!"

"WHAT?"

"VINCE I SWEAR I'M GOING TO-"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REPEAT THAT!"

Ben rounded the corner and came face to face with the strangest thing he had ever seen: Lee tackling an unfamiliar man to the ground near a big bulky radio that was the source of the throbbing base.

"TURN IT OFF!" Lee yelled into the man's ear.

"WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?"

Ben rubbed his temples. Maybe this was all a stress dream? He'd never seen Lee loose his cool like this.

The resulting silence left ringing in Ben's ears. "Um... I'm home?" he tried, speaking slightly louder than normal due to the after effects of listening to too loud of music.

Lee glanced up and gave a weak smile at Ben. "How was your day, Ben?"

Ben shrugged, glancing warily at the man still pinned under Lee. "Uh... good? I guess? We beat a nasty boss during a dungeon and got some awesome loot. Uh..." Ben stalled, grin growing lightly strained. He rubbed at his forehead.

Two women poked their heads out of the kitchen to see what had caused the silence. They quickly located Ben's new presence in the living room and quickly vacated the kitchen.

"Oh hello, sweetie! You must be Ben! I'm your grandmother, Isabella. This is your aunt Barbra." the older woman of the two introduced.

"You can call me Bunnie." Barbra said with a grin that stretched her vibrant lipstick.

Ben stared at his... aunt in shock. Holy cow. He had an AUNT.

"I'm Vince!" the man underneath Lee chimed with a wheeze. "Lee Lee can you please get off. You're heavy for a baby."

Lee's eyebrow twitched but he got off regardless. "He's my brother, unfortunately." he said as he helped his brother up off the floor. "I am NOT fat, Vince. And stop calling me Lee Lee."

"Sure you're not." Vince agreed easily, cheer coming naturally to him once the crushing weight of the other man was off his chest.

Ben looked around the people he'd barely been introduced to and began to feel the beginnings of hope. He'd always dreamed of a big family after all.

 

***

 

Lee sat on the porch and let himself relax with a sigh. He was finally free of the racket inside... if for a little while.

"Lee?"

Lee turned his head to see who was addressing him.

"Yeah mom?"

"Would you mind if I sat with you awhile?"

Lee motioned to the space next to him. "Go ahead."

Isabella settled down with a sigh. "Oh how I wish your father could see you now, Lee."

Lee tensed. "Mom-"

"Oh Lee, I know you still care for your father, despite all that he's done." Isabella sighed. "Let an old woman dream and reminisce."

There was silence for a brief moment before Lee spoke up, tone amused, "Ben has no idea how to play baseball. He didn't even know what hand he was supposed to throw with."

"You fixed that rather quick didn't you." Isabella smiled knowingly.

"Yes, it was a fun day." Lee smiled ruefully before shaking his head, "Ben still claims heckling is his strong point when it comes to the sport." he added, "And I agree."

The two chuckled for a little bit at that. A comfortable silence hung around in the air, full of warmth and childhood cheer.

"Whatever happened to that Ana girl that you were so mad for?"

Lee tensed again, looking away. "She's... She's getting married in a few months." he said hoarsely. "She's asked me to be her Man of Honor."

Isabella put her hand on her youngest's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lee." she said honestly before she pulled him into a hug. Like before, he was rather rigid, before melting into the comfort only a loving mother could provide. Something in his hurt heart loosened and broke off. The hole left behind was filled with the soothing warmth of unconditional love.

"I miss her, Mom." Lee whispered through a soft sob. "It's been years, but I still miss her."

Isabella put her chin on Lee's head. "The wounds from love are hard to heal from, I know. I know." she soothed. "Just let it out."

And the man broke, sobbing for his loss years ago. Isabella was just grateful that she could hold him like this, comfort him over old wounds.

 

***

 

Ben was having the time of his life. Vince and Bunnie were _AMAZING_. No one could tell him otherwise. Some would say that his aunt and uncle got along with Ben like a house on fire. Which is to say, it could only lead to chaos and mass destruction.

The three hung around the stairwell, waiting for when Lee would return from his "recharging of social energy" outside. After what felt like eternity, the door opened.

"One..." Ben whispered.

"Two." Bunny said louder, but still hushed.

Vince abandoned all pretenses of subtlety and yelled out, "ATTAAAACCCCKKKK!!!!!!"

Down fell an avalanche of balloons. Thankfully for Lee's walls and flooring, Bunnie had managed to talk Ben and Vince out of the idea of water balloons inside the house.

Lee paused, watching the flood of balloons being dumped down the stairs. They bounced off the walls, off the floor, it was simply chaos.

Isabella stepped forward. "Goodness. You'd better clean this all up, else we aren't going to have any dinner finished on time."

Ben's eyes grew to be saucers and he practically threw himself over the railing. Several balloons popped under his weight as he quickly tossed them into his bucket. "I don't care what you say, Vince! I want food!"

"Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!" Vince bemoaned before he too was helping Ben pop and clear the balloons away.

Cheer and laughter spread through the air, diffusing like mist rolling in from the sea. Ben's grin couldn't be wider. Man... he loved this family...

 

***

 

Like all good things, this surprise visit surely had to come to an end. And with it being 11 o'clock in the evening, it was past time for everyone to go home. Ben leaned against the porch fence and waved as his newly extended family climbed into their van.

"Have a safe trip!" Lee called, standing next to his son.

"Come soon, okay!" Ben added, waving even more enthusiastically.

The occupants in the car waved back. Vincent even went so far as to unbuckle his seat belt and lean halfway out of the car window.

"I LOVE YOU GUYS!" Vince yelled as he was dragged back in by a very exasperated Bunnie.

Ben didn't stop waving until the car was long gone.

"I hope they come back soon, Dad." Ben said.

Lee ruefully sighed and ruffled Ben's curly hair. "You're not the one doing a deep clean."

Ben snickered at his father’s misfortune..

The family of two went back into their house and all was well in the night.

 

 ***

 

Ben woke up and was confused for a minute about why he was awake. He winced as his head lightly throbbed. Ok. Time to get the ibuprofen out. Ben slipped out of his room and used the dim light of his phone to guide the way to the medicine cupboard. He grabbed a pill and then headed downstairs for a piece of bread to keep it from upsetting his stomach.

Mechanically, he chewed on the bread slice, barely tasting it. Once enough was consumed, he downed his glass of water in conjunction with the pill and headed back upstairs. His headache lessened and thirty minutes after he woke up, Ben was back in the land of nod.

**Author's Note:**

> Song - Hymn for the Missing by Red


End file.
